More than 1.3 million volunteers in junior sport and community groups involving children will be forced to undergo criminal history checks to weed out potential abusers and molesters. At the same time, job seekers who want to work with children will, for the first time, have to pay for their own background test before applying for a job.
Under the changes for volunteers, police records in every state and territory will be examined to check if they have convictions for sex or violence offences against children. The tougher NSW child protection laws, to go before Parliament later this year, will require volunteers, including sports coaches and administrators, to apply for a serial ”clearance” number to show they are fit to work with children. That number will need to be provided every time the volunteer signs on to work with them. If a person moves jobs, then they must undergo the screening procedure again.
